Interiors: Treasure Ireland

With punchy prints and playful paintwork, fashion designer Ann Louise Roswald has brought a traditional Irish farmhouse back to life

The family take a walk through the countryside near their home

THE FAMILY

Designer Ann Louise Roswald, 35, and her husband Nick Hartley, 42, share their three-bedroom home in County Clare, on Ireland’s West coast, with their son Harry, two. (They will soon be joined by a new arrival as Ann Louise is eight months pregnant.) The family divide their time between here and a London loft apartment.

THE HOUSE

Ann Louise and Nick fell in love with the 18th-century farmhouse while on holiday in County Clare in 1997 and bought it within two days of seeing it. They planned for it to be a full-time family home, but as Ann Louise’s business took off (Liberty bought her graduation collection) they spent more time in London. The family come to Ireland for two or three weeks every Easter, summer and Christmas, and also to unwind after big events such as London Fashion Week.

THE PROJECT

The couple took the original part of the farmhouse back to its shell, chipping off plaster to uncover stone walls and replacing the roof. A sympathetic extension was added made from stone found on the three acres surrounding the house. In the six years that it took to finish, the couple lived in a guest annexe next to Ann Louise’s studio – both of which were converted from outbuildings.